MPA 2006
Analytical Paper Title: “What Are the Barriers to Implementing Special Education Mediated Agreements in Delaware?”
chair: Maria Aristigueta; committee members: Kathryn Denhardt and Kathy Wian
e-mail: connollys@mail.nih.gov
current position:
Program Analyst
Office of Workforce Development, National Cancer Institute
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Md.
introduction | education | experience | honors and awards | projects and reports | conferences and presentations
IntroductionAfter completing the two-year Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in August 2008, Shannon accepted a position within the National Cancer Institute’s Office of Workforce Development (OWD). The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is the largest of the 27 institutes and centers that comprise the NIH and is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research and training. Within the NCI’s OWD, Shannon works as a program analyst. She provides a variety of organizational-development related services, which include developing and implementing trainings for individual offices and programs; implementing leadership development, mentoring and internship programs; facilitating strategic planning processes; and providing executive coaching services to mid- and senior-level leadership. In addition, Shannon spearheads many of the Institute’s human-capital management and succession-planning efforts, such as a competency assessment and development process and all competitive-sourcing activities.
EducationMPA, University of Delaware 2006, State and Local Management
MSW, New York University 1997, Social Work
BS, Frostburg State University 1992, Psychology
ExperienceAugust 2008–present
Program Analyst, Office of Workforce Development, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.
June 2006–August 2008
Presidential Management Fellow, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.
June 2005–August 2005
Intern, VA Hospital, Wilmington, Del.
September 2004–May 2006
Research Assistant, Institute for Public Administration, University of Delaware, Newark, Del.
July 2001–July 2004
Program Manager, Ethos, Boston, Mass.
May 1999–June 2001
Supervisor 1, Elmhurst Hospital, Elmhurst, N.Y.
May 1997–May 1999
Clinical Social Worker, Elmhurst Hospital, Elmhurst, N.Y.
September 1996–May 1997
Social Work Intern, The New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center, New York, N.Y.
September 1995–May 1996
Social Work Intern, Talbot Perkins Children’s Services, New York, N.Y.
May 1994–September 1994
Summer Program Coordinator, Edgemeade Center, Upper Marlboro, Md.
July 1993–September 1994
Special Education Teacher, Edgemeade Center, Upper Marlboro, Md.
July 1992–July 1993
One-on-One Counselor, Edgemeade Center, Upper Marlboro, Md.
Honors and AwardsNational Institutes of Health, Office of the Director, Merit Award, November 2008
National Institutes of Health, Office of the Director, Outstanding Intern Award, August 2008
National Institutes of Health, Center for Scientific Review, Special Act Award, March 2007
Pauline E. Loessner Memorial Award, May 2005 Recipient
Psi Chi, 1991
Projects and ReportsThe NCI Administrative Officer Competency Assessment and Development Pilot Project: 2008
One of the NIH’s succession-planning efforts involves assessing the competency of employees in certain occupation-specific job series. In 2008 the NIH mandated that all Institutes/Centers (ICs) assess all employees within their Administrative Officer series on occupation-specific competencies. The NCI’s OWD was responsible for developing and implementing the NCI’s assessment process. Shannon served on the team that developed these process/plans and was the lead data analyst and report writer. Shannon is now the team leader for this project going forward, as employees in various occupation-specific series are assessed in the coming year.
The NIH 5-Year Budget Planning Exercise: 2007
The NIH’s Office of Budget implemented an NIH-wide five-year budget-planning exercise used to inform the NIH Director’s annual Budget Retreat with all IC Directors. This exercise required each IC complete submit budgets based on different budgeting scenarios, such as a flat-budget, a 2% reduction in budget, and a BRDPI budget. Shannon was one of the key analysts on this project and served as the report’s lead writer. As a result of their work on this project, Shannon and a colleague were recognized with a 2008 NIH Director’s Merit Award.
The NIH’s Center for Scientific Review (CSR) Open House Workshops, 2007
CSR is the center that reviews and scores all the unsolicited grant applications received by the NIH. Review and scoring is completed via Study Section peer review. Shannon spearheaded CSR’s effort to obtain public input into its peer review process by developing and implementing a series of six Open House workshops, held throughout 2007. Each workshop focused on a specific scientific area and brought together the key researchers and leaders in each area to provide input about CSR’s current Study Section alignment and existing and burgeoning trends in respective science areas. The information gleaned from the sessions was used to streamline the peer-review process and resulted in Study Section re-alignment.
Conferences and Presentationsattendee, Organizational Development Network Annual Conference, 2008
attendee, Organizational Development Network Annual Conference, 2007
Through her organizational development work, Shannon has developed and delivered a variety of trainings and presentations throughout NCI. Examples include:
